The secret history of White-Hall, from the restoration of Charles II down to the abdication of the late K. James writ at the request of a noble lord, and conveyed to him in letters, by ̲̲̲late secretary-interpreter to the Marquess of Louvois, who by that means had the perusal of all the private minutes between England and France for many years : the whole consisting of secret memoirs, which have hitherto lain conceal'd, as not being discoverable by any other hand / publish'd from the original papers, by D. Jones, gent.

LETTER XLIII. (Book 43)

Of the French Artifices to amuse the Protestants of the Church of En∣gland, while they carried on their Designs.

My Lord,

PUrsuant to my Resolutions in the close of my last Letter, without I recei∣ved a Countermand from your Lordship, which I have not, I am to acquaint you, what this Court's Maxims were, and what Methods they went upon, either to make the Protestants of the Church of England, helpful to their Designs, or at least to do them no disservice, and be no obstruction to them therein. To the Clergy therefore and Gentry of the forementioned Church, whom they ima∣gined there was any likelyhood to per∣vert, they were to alledge most of the same things as before, as Arguments to perswade and induce them to return to the Bosom of their Church, and would argue much from the agreement in ma∣ny

things of both Religons; and were In∣structed, sometimes not only first to insinuate and then affirm the King was actually Per∣verted; but were moreover impudently to assert, That such and such Bishops, such and such Eminent Doctors, such and such Peers of the Realm, and such and such remarkable Gentlemen, for In∣terests, Estates, and exquisice Parts, &c. were to their knowledge, certainly and infal∣libly so too, tho' at present but covertly; and, That a greater part of their Church (whatever they might suggest with them∣selves to the contrary) than they were aware of, or was easily indeed to be imagined, were of the same Sentiments; but that they were under a restraint, and durst not declare themselves to be such, for fear of the Mobile, and of the Pres∣byterians, other Sectaries and Republican Parties, which like so many evil Spirits, presided over those Savage kind of Ani∣mals, and stirred them as they pleased themselves, against their Superiors.

But to those, My Lord, whom they found to be of the more inflexible sort, they were instructed to make use of great Flatteries and Complements, and to ac∣quaint them, that they had a great deal of reason to love the Roman Catholicks, as the Roman Catholicks had to do so

by them; for that they had had for a long time the same Common Enemies; had suffered much with them conjointly for the same Royal Cause in the late Re∣bellions; that their Adversaries were nu∣merous enough to require their united Power and Strength against them; and that their subtilty was no less to be dreaded by them, whose effects could not be warded off without such a double Force; that there was much more dan∣ger to the Church and State of England, and to the Monarchical Government, now from the Sectaries, than from their Church; for it was plain to any one that was but willing to see, That it was now no more the Roman Catholicks Interest, since they were out of all hopes of being the pre∣dominant Religion in the Kingdom, to act against the Church or State of En∣gland, under whom they had such mild Treatment, but much rather to join and fall in with them against the Sectaries and Common-wealth's-men, under whom they could never expect any thing but utmost Rigour and Cruelty; That it be∣ing impossible for them alone to support and maintain themselves in England against so great a number of Sectaries, as were with the greatest inveteracy imaginable animated against them, without the Pro∣tection of the Church of England, and

the Monarchy, tho' but by way of Con∣nivence; It was therefore so much their Concern and real Interest, to Pray for and endeavour after the Prosperity of both Parties, tho' different in Perswasion, that they had no reason to fear any thing from them, nor be alarm'd at the Con∣versions they had happened to make, which were so few and inconsiderable, as never to be able to do them hurt, had it been so designed, as it was not; That there was no danger neither from the French King's Friendship or close Al∣liance with their King, it being the only Foreign Security, as matters then stood, that he could have against the intriegues and power of the United Provinces; who not only ruined their Commerce by Sea, but were the only People that buoyed up and supported the Sectaries and Repub∣lican Party, and harboured and abetted all Designs both against the Church and State of England under the then Monar∣chy; it being their inseparable Interest in all things to thwart the English, al∣most in every particular they valued themselves upon in the present Establish∣ment; Whereas, there was no exception to be made, but that it was his Most Christian Majesty's undoubted Advantage and fix∣ed Interest to cultivate by all good Offi∣ces the said Friendship and Alliance, and

to avoid by all manner of means any Rupture or Mis-intelligence with England, and to oppose above all things, the change of our Monarchy into a Repu∣blick.

In the last place, continued they, Whereas, there had been for some time Reports spread not only of the Duke's, but the King himself's being of their Perswasion, they were to give out to this sort of Men, that that was only a suspicion, and, as they really believed, ill-grounded enough; for tho' they had reason to wish them, and all Mankind else, of their Opinion in that case; yet they had no such reason to think them so; but that the King's having shewed some fa∣vour to them upon the score of their Sufferings for, and Fidelity to his Father and himself, and out of respect to the Most Christian King with whom he was so closely Alli'd, for his better support and establishment against the enemies of Monarchical Government, was the only grounds People had had for such Ru∣mours, which were industriously foment∣ed only by the Authors of the former Fears and Jealousies against his Father, in order to get an opportunity thereby once more to destroy the Regal Govern∣ment: And, that they made this noise

indeed against Popery, but levelled it only at Episcopal and Kingly Government, not at such contemptible Adversaries as the Roman Catholicks were at that time of day. Then as for the Duke, they were to affirm, They thought and had reason to believe, he was no more a Catholick than the King; but that being a Prince of an high and inflex∣ible Spirit, and Heir presumptive to the Royal Diadem, disdained to be compel∣led by any Subjects, either to take an Oath, or give any account of his Religion, on∣ly to gratifie their Humours and Fancies; and chose rather to forbear acting in any publick Employment: But, that for their part, as he had not yet declared against the Church of England, so he had as yet made no profession of the Roman Catholick Religion as they knew of, but took care to keep himself as much reserved towards them, as towards those of the Protestant Perswasion.

By such sort of Sophisiry and cunning Artifices, thrse French Incendiaries were in∣strumental to endeavour to Keep up the Stiff Church Party in a perpetual Animosity against the Protestant Diss••nters and Dutch Party, as both of a Party; and to stir up the Government to side still with the French Interest against the power

and growth of the one, and provide with severity against the Practices of the other, in order to exasperate as much as possibly they could, the Spirits of both Parties against the other, and widen the Breaches beyond all possibility of resto∣ring them again. Which how well they have already effected, is but too well known, and no less sorely felt in the Bowels of the Kingdom for me to take upon me to Descant upon; and therefore I shall forbear, and only subscribe my self,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's Most humble Servant to Command.

Paris, Mar. 28. 1682.